Holidays & To-Do Lists
Musings on holidays, knitting & other updates.
Thank you for your warm response to my last letter on “Occupying space as a knitter”. I loved reading about your experiences and learnt so much as well. 💌
Last weekend, we hosted a small get-together to celebrate Diwali. The evening was well-spent with extended family and friends, sharing a light meal and engaging in lovely conversations. I am delighted that we took the time to organize this event. 🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔
In the past, I imposed numerous expectations on myself regarding holiday preparations. I used to begin planning weeks in advance, crafting unrealistic to-do lists 📋, and stressing over minor details for hours on end. The shopping and holiday-specific cooking only added to my overwhelm, and at some point, I began to dread these occasions.
Often we go through life living out societal and cultural expectations, completely neglecting the true needs and desire of our own bodies and minds.
Holiday times are one example where we can see this behavior peak. Are there some things that gets automatically added to your list around holidays? Let me know in comments!
I have been invited to places where one guest or the other confides in me about how they are not able to find time to celebrate and host people. It really is not a competition. It shouldn’t be.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but now there are more holidays than ever! Even some lesser known holidays have been blown out of proportion by product companies to sell us even more stuff we don’t need.
I’d like to leave some thoughts here today…
✔️It is ok to choose to do some holidays that speak to you. It's okay to skip others or celebrate them more modestly.
✔️It is ok to alter holiday traditions here and there to suit current lifestyle and context. In fact the only way to keep them alive and flowing is to allow some modifications. If not they can become stagnant and stale.
✔️It is ok to put some thought and planning into making holiday time more enjoyable for you and your loved ones, than just checking off random to-do lists that resulted from others’ expectations on you.
✔️It is ok to have given/received a not-so-perfect gift. 🎁 It is ok to have forgotten about someone’s gift or someone having forgotten yours.All of us have done this at some point.
✔️It is really about connecting to your loved ones. 💗
✔️It is about pausing and reflecting on life.
✔️It is time to let go of what is not helping and welcome the things that we love to have in our lives.
✔️It is time to rest and relax.
KNITTING DESIGN UPDATE
I am sorry I do not have a picture update for you this week. I have an accessory design being tech-edited currently and there is one more on my needles. This one will be the last one I will work on this year and I hope to make some time for other stuff like reading, spinning and sketching. I will have more updates on these hopefully in the next letter. 🤞🧶
FEATURED PATTERN
Ansh Cowl is designed for one skein of DK weight yarn, featuring simple knit-purl texture, mesh stitches and an interesting construction.
I am excited to be hosting a small knit-along for this one at Fillory Yarn this week.
You can find the pattern here in Ravelry.
OTHER THINGS I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN
There are two popular events coming up in which independent fiber art designers participate and hold pattern sales and make-alongs.
Ravelry Based Event: Indie GAL
Off -Ravelry Event: Fasten Off Y’all
About 200-300 designers participate in these events. A large number of knitters and crocheters make projects from these designs. There are games and prizes as well. I’ve signed up for both these events this year as a designer. I hope some of you would participate and enjoy these events!🤗
📚I just finished reading these:
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells.
A song of comfortable chairs by Alexander McCall Smith.
Until next time,
Kavitha. ♡
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Lovely post about finding comfort with the holiday season Kavitha. I love the tradition of holidays, but I think it is okay to share the load of keeping them going. Being un-jangled is the best way to be with family and friends. Sitting out a holiday or two is okay in my book if that what is needed to sooth one's nerves. An evening addressing cards with a handwritten note can be a meaningful way to stay in touch.
Love the Ansh Cowl! Such a smart idea and it is so pretty on you!
I feel like I need to print this out and hand it out to some family members because getting together for the holidays with them feels less like a happy get together and more like a moral obligation that they will scold me for skipping out on. It doesn't help that I'm coming up on the one year anniversary of my grandma's passing (2 days before Christmas) so I'm feeling especially raw this year and not that keen on plastering a smile over the wound.